12/3/02
Health Minister Bob Kucera today challenged the State Opposition to support Western Australia's fight to secure a Medicare licence for an MRI machine at Princess Margaret Hospital.
Mr Kucera said the former Government was complicit in a policy that saw four Medicare licences granted to private MRI operators since 1998 but not a single licence go to a Western Australian public hospital for at least nine years.
"The former State Government has to shoulder some of the blame because they were not prepared to take on the Federal Government over this issue during their eight years in Government," he said.
"Now it appears they are more interested in defending the Commonwealth's flawed MRI policy than coming out in support for WA kids."
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines are used in the diagnosis of cancers, particularly brain tumours and other neurological disorders.
Children in WA have to be transported to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital for their MRI scans - a situation that is becoming increasingly intolerable.
"All children's hospitals in the Eastern States have access to a Medicare-licensed MRI machine," Mr Kucera said.
"WA has been left out in the cold for too long and it's time all Western Australians - including all members of Opposition parties - to come out in support of our attempts to get a fair deal for the State."
Mr Kucera said Federal Liberal MPs who had not come out in support of the bid were out of touch with the community and in direct conflict with Curtin MHR Julie Bishop, who late last year said she would lobby Federal Health Minister Kay Patterson for the licence.
The State Government has pledged to purchase the $2million machine if the Federal Government issues a Medicare licence to run it.
"We have come halfway and we expect the Commonwealth to meet its obligations and do the same," Mr Kucera said.
"I am very heartened by the support of the community - including the medical profession - for the WA public health system.
"Kay Patterson can ignore the State Government, but she can't ignore the WA public and if enough people express their anger and disappointment, maybe we can get this decision reversed."
Mr Kucera said there were gross inequities in the way the Federal Government's MRI policy currently operated.
An analysis of statistics compiled by the Health Insurance Commission revealed adults with knee and shoulder injuries - many acquired from playing sport - took precedent over the needs of children with serious illnesses.
ANALYSIS OF MEDICARE BENEFITS PAID IN WA FOR MRI KNEE SCANS
ANALYSIS OF MEDICARE BENEFITS PAID IN WA FOR MRI SHOULDER SCANS
Source: Health Insurance Commission
Mr Kucera said the analysis showed that there had been an explosion of growth in Medicare benefits for both knee and shoulder scans following former Health Minister Michael Wooldridge's decision in the 1998 Budget to sign an agreement with the Royal Australian College of Radiologists to expand the Medicare Benefits Schedule to include MRI fee-for-service items.
Last year in WA, Medicare payments per 100,000 population were 80 per cent above the national rate for knee scans ($111,522 in WA compared with $62,034 nationally) and 150 per cent above the national rate for shoulder scans ($42,258 in WA compared with $16,889 nationally).
"This is a system that has gone off the rails," Mr Kucera said.
"When people can get access to an important diagnostic tool for sports injuries but children are denied that same access then you have a grossly unfair and inequitable system.
"Since Dr Wooldridge's decision, MRI Medicare benefit payments have increased to $80.5million - well in excess of the $60million forecast in the Federal Government's 1998-99 Budget.
"Despite the enormous increase in MRI usage and cost to the Medicare scheme, there are major problems with access to MRI scans for people who rely on the public hospital system and have complex, life-threatening illnesses, including children, people who live south of the Swan River and regional WA."
Mr Kucera said children should not have to pay the price for the Federal Government's flawed policy and called on the Federal Health Minister to reverse her decision.
Minister's office: 9213 7000
